


Blood Lines

by puszysty



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Gen, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-02
Updated: 2010-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-08 14:02:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puszysty/pseuds/puszysty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis revisits his past</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood Lines

Louis' life both ended and began on a rainy November morning 20 years before the destruction of the colonies. It hadn't been easy growing up on Sagittaron as the lone kid who was interested in both computers and boys. The second only his family knew about. The first, everyone did.

Louis had seen his first computer at the age of 7, when he went on his first "take your child to work" day with his father. Computers weren't in wide use on Sagittaron, hadn't been even before the first cylon war, so virtually no one had one in their home. Most national government workers, however, used one at the office, Louis' father included. It was such a strange contraption, unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was love at first sight.

After that, Louis begged his father to bring him to the office after school. The other government employees at first questioned the frequent presence of a child, but gradually came to accept him as part of Mr. Hoshi's work routine. When the capitol decided to upgrade to improve communications with the rest of the colonies, Louis' father brough the old one home for Louis to use.

"Loooouis likes computers," taunted one of the other boys at school one day. "I bet he's a cylon lover." Louis punched the kid in the face, and no one bothered him after that. He just remained on the outside, the lone geek in a school full of farmers' kids. "Way to stand up for yourself son," his father had said after learning of the circumstances of Louis' detention after school, patting him on the back.

Unlike most adults, who rolled their eyes and said that they were glad their kids were "normal", Louis' parents encouraged him to pursue his technology interests. The opportunity wasn't really there on Sagittaron most of the time, but when something came along, his parents made sure Louis was able to take advantage of it. But it was never quite enough, and his parents knew that. They wanted him to get off Sagittaron as soon as possible, to have the life they couldn't. Louis wasn't always so sure. He loved learning about technology, but he loved his family, and Louis knew that he'd have to give up one of them.

In a lot of ways, Louis' parents were not typical Sagittarons, for which Louis had always been grateful. His father was an activist; he had majored in political science in college and gone to work for the government in order to change Sagittaron from the inside out. It didn't always work as quickly or as effectively as Louis' father had wanted it to, and sometimes he participated in demonstrations, which always left his coworkers a little uneasy. If there was one thing Louis remembered most about his father, it was his strong belief in the equality of Sagittaron, and it was going to take a lot of mind changing in both the colony and elsewhere in order for that to be realized. It was that belief that led to his parents' meeting.

Louis' father met Louis' mother at a protest regarding the ban on Sagittarons from joining the military. In those days, during the first cylon war, each colony fielded its own battlestar, and since the government of Sagittaron refused to create a military, there was no place for a Sagittaron looking to join the war to go. A few had tried to join with another colony's forces, but had been turned away and asked not to come back, hence the protest. The ban was eventually lifted, only after the casualty count got too high for everyone's liking. Louis' mother had been on the front lines of the protest, holding a sign that read "Sagittarons are human too." Her picture had appeared on the front page of the newspaper the next day; Louis' parents kept a framed copy on the mantle.

 

Louis remembered the day before that cold November morning well. He and his father had had a discussion at the dinner table that night, the same one they had fairly often those days.

"You really ought to join the military after you finish high school, Louis."

"Dad-"

"I'm serious Louis. It's the only place for a boy like you," by which he meant a Sagittaron, "to make your way into the colonies without people questioning your motives or thinking anything less of you."

Louis went to protest, but his father wasn't done. "And besides, the military might help with that shyness of yours."

Louis was about to object, but realized there really was no arguing at this point. He _was_ shy, he knew that, he just didn't see how putting himself through bootcamp was going to change that. What his father was saying made sense, and it wasn't that Louis really wanted to argue anyway. It was just the thought of being away from home that terrified him. His parents supported him, the rest of the world didn't. And once he left, he knew there was no coming back.

They finished the rest of dinner in a quasi-silence, his mother talking about her day at the educational scholarship grant office. As Louis was clearing the table after dinner, his father stopped and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know what's keeping you here Louis," he said softly. "We won't be around forever. But your regret will."

Louis was doing math homework in the living room when his mother's younger brother arrived. "Why don't you go do your homework someplace else Louis?" his father said after greeting his uncle. Louis knew it wasn't a request.

His father came to bid him goodnight late that evening. "You remember that day you punched that kid in the face for calling you a cylon lover?" his father asked.

"Yeah," Louis answered through sleep hazed eyes.

"That's what the world is like Louis. People telling you want you can and can't do. You didn't think twice then, why are you thinking twice now?" Louis didn't answer. "You're stronger than you think you are Louis. Stronger than any of us, even. You'll see that someday."

It was the last time Louis ever saw his father.

 

That morning Louis was in school when he heard what had happened. The principal had run in and told the to turn on the television. The image that appeared was his uncle's face, talking about how the world needed to see the plight of Sagittarons. The text along the bottom of the screen read _BOMBING IN CAPITOL AREA_. They'd already missed the part where the news anchor had said which building it was, but Louis already knew. His uncle wouldn't know his way around any government buildings. His father would.

His mother showed up at the school ten minutes later to get Louis. The look on her face was not one of shock. By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was already too late.

Louis called a military recruiter the next day.

*************

Louis was hoping the man in the cell wouldn't recognize him. It had been 24 years since they'd last seen each other, a distant memory of a life long ago lost. One he only faintly regretted losing. But the man did recognize him. Somehow, Louis knew he would.

"Louis Hoshi. Gods if you aren't the spitting image of your father."

"Tom." Louis stood there crossing his arms. "You seem to have a penchant for killing the people I love."

"I didn't kill him," Tom replied. "The circumstances of the world killed him."

_I don't understand. Why would you set up a meeting with him of all people?_ Louis never got the chance to tell him that it wasn't because he disagreed with Zarek's politics, it was because when Tom Zarek got involved in a revolution, people were going to die. And he didn't want to lose Felix too.

"Interesting you waited until now to come see me."

"Anyone in this fleet found out I was related to Tom Zarek, that would have been the end of my career. You know that."

"That I do. Have a seat." Tom motioned at the steel chair off in a corner of the cell. Louis sat down.

"So what brings you here? You could have waited for the execution and washed your hands of me forever. Why bother?"

Louis had asked that question to himself many times over on his way here. _I should be with Felix._ He very easily could have washed his hands of him forever. _Felix didn't want to see me._ But he didn't want to.

"Felix didn't want to see me." It was the only answer that made sense right now.

"So you came to me instead? You wanted to take out your anger about the mutiny and I was the easiest target? Has the military brainwashed you into taking their side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side," said Louis. It was long over and he still didn't know who he would have fought with if he'd had the choice. "Cylons, no cylons, I don't care anymore. I just want to get on with life."

"Sometimes there are times when you can't just go on with life, you've got to take care of things."

"And sometimes there are times when living _is_ how you take care of things." There was a long pause. "I wanted to see Felix because…because…" _I love him_, Louis wanted to say. This moment just didn't seem right for that kind of confession.

"Oh," said Tom, a look of realization washing over his face. "You're _that_ Louis."

"Yeah," Louis sighed.

Tom leaned forward from where he sat on the cot. "In prison, there used to be this thing we called 'tying up the ends'. Whenever someone was diagnosed with a terminal illness, looked like they'd die in prison, they'd ask for a final phone call. Call someone they still had something they had to finish with: families of their victims, girlfriend they left alone on the outside, someone they had a feud with that they wanted to end. So they can be at peace with themselves before they die. That's what Felix is doing. Tying up the ends of his life. He didn't want you because he's already made peace with you. That's a compliment Louis, it's not an insult."

Louis nodded. That didn't mean it hurt any less.

Tom leaned back again. "I get the feeling that's what you're doing here too."

"I'm not dying."

"No. But I am. And you're the only one, besides the Adama monarchy, who has any family left to settle your past with."

"That was a long time ago," said Louis.

"And you're still upset about it," Tom pointed out. It was true. Louis was. Seventeen was too young to lose a father.

"I loved my father."

"And he loved you. That's why."

"Why what?" Louis asked.

"Why he helped me blow up that building," Tom answered.

"My father was a revolutionary long before I was born," stated Louis.

"It wasn't about Sagittaron. It was for me, but not for him." Louis raised an eyebrow, wondering just what Tom was saying. "We both knew one explosion wasn't going to change Sagittaron. We'd spent too many years fighting to believe that sort of thing. But one explosion was enough to change _you_."

"Wait," said Louis, leaning forward in his chair. "Are you saying…?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. It worked, didn't it?"

"You son of a bitch!" Louis shouted at him.

"It wasn't my idea, Louis," countered Tom. "Sure, I'm the one who gets all the credit for it, but it was never my idea to begin with."

Louis was seething. He couldn't believe what Tom was telling him. "And you expect me to forgive you for this?"

Tom crossed his arms and shook his head. "You've already forgiven me for it. You did a long time ago. You're in the military, working as a computer expert. That tells me all I need to know. And I know you know what I'm telling you is true, so it's not me you're mad at now, is it?"

Louis stood up. He didn't need this, not now.

"They're a lot alike you know," said Tom. It was enough to keep Louis there for the moment. "Willing to give everything for what they believe in."

Tom Zarek may have been a manipulator, but damn if he didn't have a way of making you stare truth right in the face. "Was it worth it?" asked Louis. "If all we've gotten is to here? When there's nothing left worth living for?" Louis had had enough. He turned to walk out the door and signaled to the guard to escort him out.

"You'll find something," Tom said. "You're stronger than you think you are. Stronger than any of the rest of us."

Louis spun back around, and held up a hand to tell the guard to wait. "What did you say?"

"Blowing up a building, that's easy. _Dying_ is easy. To keep going when the rest of the world just tells you to give up, that's hard. You were the kid who studied computer science on Sagittaron. You were the guy who used his father's death as the opportuinity to pursue your dream, not to stay home and mourn. There are times when living is the fight? Those aren't the words of someone who's looking to quit now. Don't let looks fool you, this, my circumstances, is the easy out. This whole world has told us all to stop. You're still going. That takes guts. More than I've ever had. If there's any hope for this fleet yet, it's you."

More guts than Tom Zarek. That was a rarity to hear, though it wasn't that that had gotten Louis. It was that those words had sounded like what Louis' father had meant all those years ago. It hadn't made sense to him back then. It did now. Tom was right, he couldn't be mad at his father. Because he didn't regret his life since, no matter what had happened. Without his father's death, he wouldn't have gotten off Sagittaron, wouldn't have pursued his dream of going into technology, wouldn't have met Felix. He'd known that all along, really. He _was_ the strong one. And he knew he'd still be, even when it felt like his world was falling apart again.

"Thanks Uncle Tom," he said, as he signaled the guard to come get him. He'd heard what he needed to. It had been why he came, even if he hadn't realized that before. He'd only been waiting 24 years.

"Your father'd be proud of you."

Louis looked at Tom one last time and smiled. "I know."


End file.
